China may trump US on trade initiatives in Peru

Tokyo

THIS week's Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Peru is expected to expose major contradictions in the policies of US president-elect Donald Trump as the new American leader's opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) clashes with his desire to limit China's influence in the Asia-Pacific region.

Outgoing US President Barrack Obama will represent the United States at the Lima meeting of Apec leaders, but his own twin-track policy of supporting the TPP and underwriting Asian security will be undermined by Mr Trump's signalled new approach to Asia. This could open the door to wider Chinese economic power, analysts say.

Mr Trump is due to meet Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in New York this week, where he will encourage Japan to "play a more active role in Asia", Reuters reported an unnamed security adviser to the US president-elect as saying. "Mr Abe is a uniq…